The Medium of Instruction in Bangladeshi Higher Education Institutions: Bangla, English, or Both?

English as a medium of instruction (MOI) has become an important tool for universities to produce knowledgeable and skilled graduates. In Bangladesh, public and private universities remain distant in terms of policies related to MOI. The current study was undertaken to reach a tangible conclusion that would reflect "what should be the MOI in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), Bangladesh." This qualitative study involved seven senior university teachers with more than 15 years of teaching experience. Data were analyzed using discourse analysis. Findings show that the participants prefer the Bangla language as MOI to produce knowledgeable graduates, who would contribute to the growth of the nation. However, the authors strongly suggest the implementation of a bilingual curriculum in which instruction is delivered in both English and Bangla to impart knowledge to the students. It is also suggested that a national language-in-education policy be implemented, rather than the existing alien programs, to enrich students' knowledge acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]